Ben Shaw: chapter 1 of the talent code

Chapter one of "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle is titled "the sweet spot." In this chapter, Coyle talks about talent hotspots or "chicken wire Harvards." These talent hotspots are places in the world where talented indidviduals spawn from unexpected places. He uses Brazilian soccer players as one example: how is it that a country no more priveliged than others can produce such exemplerary soccer players? The secret, Coyle says, is in the learning method. In the first chapter, Coyle talks about the notion of deeper practice. Practicing deeper, not more, Coyle says, is the secret to mastery: "Thrashing blindly doesn't help. Reaching does."

Essentially, the way in which you practice matters more than how much time you practice.

Deep Practice, the sweet spot

In my personal practice, sometimes I'm more concerned about how long I practice for rather than how effectively I practice. The concept of Deep Practice is what is to be internalized here.